International

1,000 Greek pupils chant hymns to Virgin Mary at Thessaloniki Cathedral service (video)

Around 1,000 pupils from 37 schools at all levels of education in Thessaloniki chanted hymns to the Virgin Mary at the city’s Hagia Sophia Church. The pupils, together with the choir of the Hellenic Army Officers’ School and the Eirmos Byzantine Children’s Choir of the Metropolis of Thessaloniki, provided the liturgical responses on Friday, 13…

Mar 16, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Church of Greece urges families to support priestly vocations

The Church of Greece has called on families—especially wives—to support with love and understanding those who feel called to serve as ministers of the Church. The appeal was made by the Permanent Holy Synod of the Church of Greece in a pastoral message issued ahead of the Week of Priestly Vocations. In the encyclical letter,…

Mar 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Relics of Saint Gregory Palamas carried in procession through the streets of Thessaloniki

The relics of Gregory Palamas were carried in procession through the streets of Thessaloniki on the second Sunday of Great Lent, which in the Orthodox Church is dedicated to the saint who defended hesychast spirituality. The religious procession took place on Sunday at the Metropolitan Cathedral in the historic Greek city, where the relics of…

Mar 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Orthodox bishops in Germany adopt new guidelines on handling abuse cases

Orthodox bishops in Germany have adopted new guidelines and procedural rules for handling cases of abuse and sexual harassment within the framework of the Conference of Orthodox Bishops in Germany (OBKD). According to a press release, the canonical Orthodox bishops in Germany held a working session on 7 March at the diocesan centre of the…

Mar 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian priest in Dubai urges calm as Middle East tensions raise concerns among diaspora

Father Alexandru Cristian Truşcan, parish priest of the Romanian community in Dubai, has issued a message of reassurance and caution amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, saying the community is closely monitoring developments. “We are following the evolution of the situation responsibly,” the priest told Basilica.ro. Amid recent geopolitical tensions in the region…

Mar 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian pilgrims evacuated from Israel with Church assistance amid security crisis

Romanian pilgrims in Israel have been assisted by the Representation of the Romanian Patriarchate to the Holy Places in leaving the conflict area safely. According to Archimandrite Ioan Meiu, the evacuation was carried out through the only currently safe route available — the border crossing into Egypt. “Romanian bus drivers and guides based in Israel…

Mar 4, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate representation assists pilgrims in Israel as airspace closes amid security tensions

The Romanian Patriarchate’s Representation to the Holy Places is providing assistance to Romanian pilgrims currently in Israel, amid heightened security tensions and the temporary closure of the country’s airspace. The situation deteriorated on Friday morning, when air raid sirens were activated and several rockets launched from Iran were intercepted by defense systems, according to Agerpres.…

Mar 2, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

U.S. Orthodox Bishops: Restoration of icons meant restoration of Church unity

The restoration of holy icons was more than a historical event — it was the restoration of the unity of the Church itself, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America said in its encyclical for the Sunday of Orthodoxy. The Assembly, of which His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan…

Feb 27, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Romanian Patriarchate begins talks with Israeli authorities to reopen Jordan River Hermitage closed since 1967

The Very Rev. Archimandrite Ioan Meiu, representative of the Romanian Patriarchate to the Holy Places and superior of the Romanian establishments in Jerusalem, Jericho and at the Jordan River, announced that the first official meeting with Israeli authorities regarding the restoration of the Romanian Hermitage on the Jordan River—closed since 1967—took place on the first…

Feb 26, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch says asceticism leads to genuine freedom in Great Lent message

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has issued a catechetical homily ahead of Great Lent 2026, emphasising that ascetic struggle — properly understood — reveals the true freedom of the Christian life. In his message, made public by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Patriarch Bartholomew described Great Lent as a time for repentance, prayer, humility and spiritual vigilance,…

Feb 19, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu

Icons donated by Ecumenical and Bulgarian patriarchs arrive at Bulgaria’s Antarctic research base

An icon of Saint Demetrius the Myrrh-gusher, donated by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, and an icon of the Mother of God with the Child, donated by Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria, were placed on Tuesday in the new laboratory of Bulgaria’s “St. Clement of Ohrid” research base on Livingston Island, in Antarctica. The icon…

Feb 11, 2026Aurelian Iftimiu